Kindergartner loves math, spending time with friends

January 27, 2014

No matter where six-year-old Wapakoneta Elementary School student Brayden Opperman is — whether it’s school, the park or his own backyard — you can always find him on the slides.

“I really like to play outside,” Brayden said. “I go down the slide tons of times.”

At his house, Brayden has two slides that are connected by a bridge that his dad built for him. One of those slides runs into his trampoline, which Brayden said he really enjoys. He also has a rock climbing wall in his backyard.

During the wintertime when Brayden is unable to use the slides as much, he likes to go sled riding at the football field near his house.

“When I was sledding I hit the snow and I went face first into 10 layers of snow — right through it!” Brayden recalled with a smile.

Brayden is currently in kindergarten at Wapakoneta Elementary School. He said his favorite subject is math because they “get to do a whole bunch of cool stuff” like count SweeTarts and eat them afterwards.

So far, Brayden is enjoying kindergarten. He said he likes all the fun projects that they get to do. Brayden and his classmates are working on a story book that they will give to their parents on Valentine’s Day.

He has made three friends--Austin, Michael and Isaiah, who he likes to talk to at school. Brayden also likes his teacher, Miss Angela Harrison, who Brayden said is really nice and is always doing fun stuff with the class.

Harrison is also quite fond of Brayden.

“He’s got a nice little personality on him,” Harrison said. “If someone is sad or needs help with something, he’s always helping people in the classroom. He cares about all the kids in class including me- — he always makes sure I’m having a good day.”

Brayden said that he is excited to be playing tee ball in the spring.

“I practice tons,” he said.

Brayden’s parents, Jayson Opperman and Jennifer Mullenhour, will often practice with him. Brayden said that his dad will throw him the ball, and his mom will fetch the balls that he hits.

The Opperman’s have a dog named Scarlett, who Brayden likes to play with.

“I got her a little ball so when I roll it she goes after it,” he said.

Brayden also has a hamster that he named ‘Fluffy Fluff Fluff Fluff.’

“It’s a little hard to say,” he said.

When he grows up, Brayden said he wants to be a football player. He is going to have to wait a few years though, because his parents told him he’s not allowed to play until he’s 18 years old.

His favorite TV show is SpongeBob SquarePants, and he does not care for Dora the Explorer, saying that the program is riddled with “tons of stuff I don’t really like.”

His favorite movies are Transformers 1, 2 and 3.

“I’m a big fan of Bumblebee and all the other good guys, but not the bad guys,” Brayden said.

His favorite restaurant in Wapakoneta is El Azteca. He said he likes to get a burrito and taco with chips in melted cheese sauce.

“It’s reeeaally good,” he said.

Brayden’s favorite vacation is to a hotel and water park in California. He said that he and his family are going back in May for his birthday.

“I want to go to the same hotel because it was really really fun,” Brayden said.